Mists of Avalon (2001) (TV)
'' Mists of Avalon'' is based on a novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley and tells the traditional Arthurian legends, with minor changes and additional incorporations, from the female perspective. The screenplay was written by Gavin Scott. The miniseries aired on TNT on July 15 and 16, 2001. The Mists of Avalon was directed by Uli Edel, a German film director who has been nominated for Academy Awards. The miniseries was the highest rated summer made for television movie in 2001. Cast *Anjelica Huston (Viviane) *Julianna Margulies (Morgaine) *Joan Allen (Morgause) *Samantha Mathis (Gwenwyfar) *Caroline Goodall (Igraine) *Edward Atterton (Arthur) *Michael Vartan (Lancelot) *Michael Byrne (Merlin) *Hans Matheson (Mordred) *Mark Lewis Jones (Uther) * Plot '' '' The miniseries first introduces three sisters: Igraine, the Duchess of Cornwall, Morgause, her unwed sister, and Viviane, the Lady of the Lake and High Priestess of Avalon. Viviane is concerned with the continuation of their religion, and informs Igraine that she must bear the future heir to the throne by a man who is not her husband, Gorlois. This is brought about when Uther Pendragon kills her husband in battle and Merlin changes Uther’s appearance so that he is perceived to be the Duke of Cornwall. He returns to Cornwall and he and Igraine conceive Arthur. When the baby is born, Morgaine, daughter of Gorlois and Igraine, becomes very devoted to him, but the two must separate after a period of about five years to be fostered by Viviane and Merlin, respectively. Morgaine is instructed in the ways of the Mother Goddess on the island of Avalon, and one night she is required to participate in a fertility ceremony called Beltane’s Rites, where she plays the Virgin Huntress and must sleep with the man who kills the King’s stag. Later it is revealed that the man was Arthur, and Merlin and Viviane orchestrated the plan to breed a pure-blooded heir to Avalon. Morgaine is furious and renounces the ways of Avalon. Mordred is born, and taken in by Morgause, who uses him to further her own agenda. When he is grown, she instructs him to infiltrate Camelot, pretending to be a good knight, in order to find something to tarnish Arthur’s reputation so he can take the throne. He exposes an affair between Gwenwyfar and Lancelot, and then leads a Saxon force against the Knights of the Round Table. While the cuckolded king is away preparing his troops, Morgause and Mordred take over Camelot, slaying all Christian followers. Viviane appears and attempts to settle things, but she is attacked by Morgause and both sisters die. In the battle, Lancelot is killed, and Mordred fatally wounds Arthur before receiving a final death blow from the King. Morgaine takes Arthur back to Avalon, but cannot part the mists, because Avalon has forsaken them. They drift to Glastonbury monastery, where Morgaine finds the Christian followers worshiping “Mother Mary,” a statue of the Mother Goddess with a cloth like that of Mary’s head covering, and decides that the pagan ways of The Goddess have been reborn. References Mists of Avalon on IMDb Mists of Avalon on Wikipedia Mists of Avalon on TNT Mists of Avalon Review Mists of Avalon Biased Review Category:TV Shows Category:21st Century